Eddie Howe sees ‘hope’ for Newcastle United despite blow of Barcelona equaliser
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe after the 1-1 Champions League last 16, fist-leg draw with Barcelona at St James' Park on March 10.
PHOTO: EPA
LONDON – Eddie Howe believes his Newcastle United side can upset Barcelona at the Camp Nou to make the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, despite the blow of conceding late to draw their last-16, first-leg clash 1-1 on March 10.
Harvey Barnes gave the Magpies a deserved lead four minutes from time, but Lamine Yamal levelled from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game.
One big positive is that Newcastle dominated large spells of the game as they bounced back from bowing out of the FA Cup to Manchester City on March 7.
Howe’s men sit 12th in the English Premier League, but he saw enough in their display to believe they can oust the La Liga leaders and five-time European champions.
“There’s hope, of course there is. We believe in ourselves, we believe in our capabilities. I think we’ve shown that today,” said the Englishman.
“I thought we were outstanding, a really good performance. We kept the intensity up, which is very difficult to do against them for so long.
“The moment at the end obviously taints that in a negative light, but I think it was one of our best performances.”
Defender Lewis Hall added: “For sure, I think if you went in our changing room at the end of the game, you would have thought that we’d lost by how quiet it was.”
Newcastle, who were beaten 2-1 by their Spanish opponents at home in the first league-phase game this season, were forced to go through the knockout phase play-offs, while Barca qualified directly for the last 16.
Barca boss Hansi Flick agreed that his team were lucky to leave Tyneside on level terms, but said he would have settled for 1-1 before kick-off due to the number of players he had unavailable.
Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde were missing for the Catalan giants, while Eric Garcia was left on the bench as a precaution.
“At the end, maybe yes (the result was deserved), but we take this one for us, a very important result, because I think we didn’t play so well with the ball,” said the German manager.
“With the ball, we made not a good game. We lost too many balls, easy mistakes. We have to do much better next week. With a 1-1, I was always happy.”
The sides will meet again on March 18. AFP, REUTERS
